A Peek Inside My Beauty Bag: What I’m Using Right Now

Keeping combination/oily skin on an even keel is a challenge at the best of times, and winter is definitely not the best of times. Extremes of temperature, harsh winds, and drying central heating can strip moisture from both oily and drier skintypes, but of course the difficulty with oily skins is that rich unctions can overwhelm and create as many clogged pore-shaped problems as they solve. That is why I have big love for this little tube of product. It performs like a plaster, wrapping skin in just the right amount of nourishment to soothe irritation, flakes and dryness without leading to spots. This is a firm fixture in my bag of tricks at this time of year.

This is one of an elite group of specialist treatments that I can deploy at night for an intensive shot of moisturising R&R without fear of retaliatory breakouts come morning. The fact that results are near instantaneous only serves to sweeten an already deliciously sugary deal.

While I wait for my tube of Talika Lipocils to arrive, I’m making the most of every single lash that those pesky 2-week extensions left behind. Sure, this stuff is expensive – some might say too expensive for daily use – but dammit all to hell, ain’t I worth full-on extreme fluttery fabulousness on an everyday basis?

Of course I am. Especially over The Christmas: sure you never know when you might accidentally run into an old frenemy in your home town and want to induce a little bit of lash envy…

My eyes seem to change colour depending on my humour/the type of shoes I’m wearing/how hungry I am, and I have these lovely liquid liners in both Emerald (for illuminating green eyes) and Amethyst (for illuminating hazel eyes) to cover all eventualities since, sadly, L’Oreal have yet to offer a shade to enhance muck-coloured eyes.

Le sigh.

I think these are quite amazing for the fairly low price. The soft nib ensures smooth, defined, drag-free application and makes easy work of subtle tightlining as well as chunky lines or flicks and once on, these liners aren’t going anywhere. They don’t flake, smudge, or budge, even when you whack a pair of lash curlers up beside them without really giving them adequate time to dry.

And yes, my muck-coloured eyes do seem to lean more green/hazel depending on which of the two I’m wearing. Totes amaze.

5. Claire’s Accessories nail stickers (€7.95)

I didn’t expect much of these when I picked up a set patterned with a white-on-black skull design and one printed with peacock feathers, and to be honest I’m still trying to make up my mind about Claire’s Accessories nail stickers. Although they’re quite plastic-y in texture, they aren’t nearly as thick as I thought they’d be and they’re well sized for my nails: I was able to select ten from the eighteen in the pack that fit my fingertips perfectly and required no additional trimming.

A blast of the hairdryer kept them flexible during the application process and eliminated wrinkles, but they didn’t last especially well: I only got two days out of them before the tips started curling away from my nail plate.

15 Replies to "A Peek Inside My Beauty Bag: What I’m Using Right Now"

A double whammy of Kiehl’s is keeping my skin just about nourished right now. First up the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, followed by Rosa Arctica cream.
Lynnie, totally agree, MRC is fab and works immediately. It absorbs instantly but doesn’t “disappear”. I’ve found some treatments absorb into the skin but are unnoticeable moments later. Others just lie on the skin and don’t soak in. THIS, though, is perfect.

*sigh* the MR did absoutely zero for me – I ended up giving it away. But then the Trilogy Rosehip Oil did sweet feck all also, so maybe it’s just me.

I also had the Cicaplast and found it lovely in it’s siliconey-primeriness…..but I don’t have oily/damaged skin so I don’t even know why I bought it to be honest. Another one I’ve given away!

At the moment I’m becoming OBSESSED with a moisturiser – Catch a Wrinkle in Time by good oul Soap & Glory. Lads, it’s the business – I’ve tried them all, cheap and dear, and this feels fuppin’ gorgeous on the skin. I suspect there’s a fair whack of silicone in it and that’s why. My skin is looking very soft-focus-like on it. Loving it to bits.

Thanks for the heads up on the Cicaplast lYnnie. Have oily skin so will defo be trying this.
Loving Vichy aqualia thermal at night time at the mo. Leaves my skin feeling lovely and plump and soft and when I wake in the morning its nice and soft too. No greasy residue in my fringe either which is a bonus.

Cicaplast is in my handbag all the time, it’s brilliant when my skin is getting a bit flaky from the Retin-A and I also use it on my lips if they’re feeling a bit dry. Other than that I’m not really loving anything at the moment. I’m a bit bored with what I have and on the lookout for a new mascara (not for €39 though :-)!), moisturiser and facial sunblock. Got the Caudalie sunblock from feelunique but it balls up a bit on me so might try the Shiseido urban defence one next. Had a brilliant sunblock that I got from the Blackrock Clinic but when I rang to get another one they told me it was discontinued :-(.

I love Cicaplast but I’ve very dry skin and it’s brilliant for when my is very sensitive/breakouts. I put on trilogy and pop this over it. Skin is lovely after. Also use it on my lips. But my CDLM lip balm is favourite at moment.

The Superliner Luminizers on the other hand will not stay on my eyelids potion primer or not. I could let them dry forever and my eyelash curlers touch them and it’s gone.
Or I tried putting it on one day after I curled eyelashes and hour later there was no sign of it. And I bought them in all colours because I loved the nimbs.
I’m now putting them over my black gel liner and that is only way they work.

Trilogy Co Q 10 serum is just gorge. Love it for an extra boost that and the trilogy age protect spf 15 moisturiser.

i am also loving midnight recovery concentrate,use it around once a week, or after a big night out- it smells quite nice too!was perving at the loreal eyeliners in boots yesterday but as i have a bag of liners, i reluctantly walked away! I am loving my Ogra skincare moisturiser for the past few months,I shall repurchase!and in love with Clarins rich body cream for after the shower.Also the cheaper version of bio oil I got in the pound shop..yes I am that classy but I lash it on twice a day and am loving it so far. Its blowing a gale here and the lights are flickering, very wintery!

Banjaxed I use Revision spf50 from blackrock clinic it’s the best. They usually have samples in Dr Coleman’s clinic. Very easily absorbed but feels like it’s rich in this weather.
Other than that I’m lashing on Carmex minty lipbalm, so soothing. L’occitane Shea butter hand cream and whatever body moisturiser I can trowel on quickest so I don’t freeze in the bathroom. Usually Palmers cocoa butter or Clarins moisture rich. Oh and I just got the 17 BB cream after Kirstie’s review and I think it’s excellent.

ladyelvis: That’s the one – the revision one! Thanks, I couldn’t remember the name! I used the spf30 one but it’s discontinued and somebody was supposed to ring me re what to replace it with and they never did :-(. I must give them a ring again to see what they could recommend. So you recommend the one with spf50 then?

Banjaxed I’ve never used the spf30 version but I really rate the Revision spf 50 moisturiser. You don’t need an extra moisturiser unless you have very dry skin I’d say. It has a lovely texture which I think would work on most normal to combination skin types. As I said it feels rich and nourishing but absorbs quickly without any residue left on the skin. It’s also a good makeup base I find. I got a sample before buying it as it’s about 40 quid I think.